Lucario's Gift
by Riolu16
Summary: 15 year old, Damian had a life. Actually, a life he didn't deserve. Living in poverty, alone and fighting for his life. His troubles are ended as Lucario gives Damian a new start. Offering him a home and a family along the way. Damian must now live his new life as a Riolu. How well will Damian be able to cope with this strange world of the Pokemon? CHAPTER 3 NOW UP PLUS NEW COVER!
1. A World Unknown

Chapter I:

A World Unknown

It was late in the evening. That's all I could tell as my limp, unmoving body lay still as I moaned in slight pain. I could barely open my eyes to view the world, but the vision only consisting of a feint blur. I could hear only muffled voices from seemingly nearby, but the voices could not be distinguished with my lacking sense of hearing.

It seemed as though all of my senses were failing me at the time. But not only my senses. My memory. I couldn't for the death of me figure out what placed me into this trance of complete body and mind failure.

Slowly, I felt myself gaining the strength to utter short, simple words. My ears somewhat capable to assure what I say, I asked, "Ohh... W-where... I mean... What... Happened...?"

There was an instant reply, and I was now able to hear my speaker clearly as my senses faded back.

"This is a slight side effect of transferring dimensions. It won't last too long, you'll be fine."

My eyes fluttered open and I could have shrieked at my first sight.

A four foot tall creature with blue fur on most of its body, cream colored fur on its torso, and black fur surrounding its eyes and paws stared down at me. It's eyes were a bright red, pointy ears resting on top of its head, a long snout. It was clear to me, this wasn't a human. What wasn't clear to me, however... What is it?

"What are you?" I asked in awe as I stood up feebly.

It's neutral expression was unchanging as it spoke, "My name is Lucario. I am one of a race known as Pokemon, the people you will see here."

"I'm sorry, what happened exactly? I can't remember crap," I winced.

"Memory lost hmm? Maybe I can refresh you. Hold still..." he ordered.

Lucario placed a paw on my forehead as he knelt down. I felt a rush of energy, which quickly turned into intense fatigue. I shook my head vigorously, feeling a sudden headache take over.

"Hmm... Remember now?" asked Lucario.

"Yeah... Wait a minute. I remember everything! You fought those guys in the alley! And I saw you and... I passed out and- WAAAHHH!" I shrieked.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared down at my... Paws.

"My hands...? What happened to my hands!?" I panicked.

"Relax. In order for you to live with me in my world, you need to look like one of the people."

I couldn't stop turning my paws, staring at the front and back. I had an urge to look at my feet. Two more black paws replaced my feet. I stood quickly as I rushed to the nearby lake. I couldn't utter a word as I glared at my reflection. I was blue and black all over. My ears sat atop my head, similar to that of a fox, the black fur covered my eyes and nose like a mask, two teardrop shaped things dangled from my face, my mouth was now a short snout, and to top it all off, I have a tail.

"Ohhhhhh man... This is freaky..." I croaked.

"You asked me to do this, Damian. I know this seems... Weird. But you need to understand this is your new life now. That is, after all, what you've wanted right?"

My gaze didn't leave my reflection until I decided to reply.

"Yeah, I guess so. It's just really strange y'know?" I chuckled lightly.

Lucario simply grinned at me in understanding.

"I completely get it. After all, you've never seen my kind before."

I could feel him rest a paw on my shoulder.

"I'm short..." I remarked.

Lucario couldn't help but laugh, "You'll get used to it."

He straightened his posture and looked to his right.

"We should get going. You can meet with my wife and son," said Lucario, "I'll explain everything on the way there."

I nodded and followed his slow pace. As we walked, I noticed a lot of strange creatures along the way. Each a different color, size or shape. However, I did see some that looked the same, if not twins.

"So... What to tell you first...? I know! First off, our race. You are now known as a Pokemon. We Pokemon are kind and peaceful people who live together in harmony. I can't speak for every Pokemon though. Just like on Earth, we have our criminals and not so good people. You are known as the Pokemon, Riolu. My first evolution or evolved form, in simpler terms. You're probably wondering what an evolved form is. Well, we Pokemon, despite our peaceful living, enjoy battling or fighting. As you grow and become a better fighter, you will eventually evolve into something much stronger than your previous form."

"But not only will evolve through battling, you can even evolve as you grow older. You will not evolve though, due to the Everstone in your arms. I had this made specifically because I don't want you to evolve too soon. Neither does my wife."

"Does your wife know about me? And your son?" I asked.

"Only my wife knows of where you actually came from. I can't tell Zorua. He'll only go off saying you're a human and other Pokemon will think he's crazy. Anyways, enough about evolving. Pokemon have needs like humans do, only our needs are kinda different. We need to eat, drink, and sleep to live. I've noticed a lot of technology on your Earth, so I will mention it now. We don't have an of it. We live in forests, foraging berries and food for ourselves. Some live in busy villages in houses made of wood, sometimes rock, while others live life in nature. Money is not a factor with Pokemon. We help each other out, free of charge. Hmm... What else...? Okay, I'll tell ya this. Now, you're gonna think this is pretty awesome. All Pokemon have superpowers."

"What?! No way!" I exclaimed.

"It's true. Don't believe me? Watch this..." he stated.

Lucario stopped walking, as did I, and he put his paws together at his side and they began to glow incredibly bright. A blue ball of unexplainable power formed from his paws. He then fired the blast into a nearby boulder, blowing the rock to smithereens. A cloud of dust formed and he rock was soon revealed to be destroyed.

My jaw dropped.

"I thought you'd like that. You have he same powers that I do. Close your eyes and see what I mean," Lucario ordered with a grin.

I did as he instructed and gasped.

"Holy crap... This is awesome!" I laughed.

I could see the world as I closed my eyes, only I didn't see it as I normally would. My surroundings turned into a black wasteland, with white neon strings outlining trees and shrubbery and other nature. I could see bird like figures in the trees and several other creatures of different shapes walking along he paths, each one with a different color of light surrounding them.

"This is so frigging awesome!" I exclaimed.

"Yep, and there's a lot more to learn than just aura vision. Now, I know you're loving the new vision, but we should keep going. You've still got a bit more to know about my world. Where was I...? Oh yeah! So we all have superpowers based on our specific type. With these types, we can only learn specific attacks that other Pokemon can't. I'm just gonna list off all of the types. Fire, water, grass, ice, fighting, rock, ground, steel, dark, ghost, fairy, flying, normal, dragon, poison, bug, psychic, and... I think that's it. Now, like I said, certain type have certain powers. A fire type can learn a fire blast attack, while an ice type can't. Water Ypres can only use water gun, rock types can't. See where I'm going here?"

I nodded.

"You'll learn more as you go about our powers. Anyways... Is that it? Oh wait! I'm forgetting a couple of things. Your life story is crucial for this to work out. You cannot, and I repeat, cannot, tell anyone about you being a human, living on Earth, nothing. It never happened. Now, I had an older brother who... Sadly, passed away. If anyone asks, you were his son. You can call me dad if you want and you can call my wife, Zoroark, mom. Or if you'd rather call us aunt and uncle I'm fine with whatever."

"Okay... Dad," I said with a grin.

I couldn't help but feel a warmth take over my body at the fact I had a family, something I never obtained as a human on Earth. It felt good to know I had people who cared about me.

"We're almost home. A few things I should add. My son, Zorua... he's twelve years old and, chances are, he's gonna be really glad he has a little brother."

"Little brother?" I asked.

"Yes. In order to make your life story believable, you are 9 years old," replied Lucario.

That was a bit of a shocker. As a human, I was 15 years old. Let's see... I basically just gained 6 more years of my life.

"Also," Lucario said with a rising inflection, "you'll be in school. Pokemon school is different than human school though. We don't study math or whatever courses you take. You simply learn about the history of. Pokemon, how the world was created, our types, and occasionally you'll have recess. Okay, here we are. One last thing... Training. If you're gonna be a Pokemon, you'll need to train to be one. I'll train you so you can be combat ready for anything, and Zoroark-I mean... Mom... Can show you anything you need to know."

"Okay. Sounds cool, I guess."

My gaze was set upon the home before me. Lucario lived in a cave, with shrubs colored with a plethora of different berries, the grass shining from the dew drops as the rays of sunlight beamed down on it. It looked beautiful, almost perfect.

"Wow... This is where you live?" I asked as we approached the entrance.

"I wouldn't be at the entrance if it weren't," Lucario chuckled.

He then went through the opening, turning to face me and waving his paw, gesturing to follow him. I quickly stood by his side, then slowly entering through the cave behind him.

"Mom! Dad's home!"

Out a room on the left, ran a four legged fox-like Pokemon, his completely black despite a patch of red on his tail. He jumped up as he was a foot from dad, and Lucario quickly caught him.

"Whoa Zorua! One day I'm not gonna catch you and you'll be flying into the wall."

"You say that every time, dad," Zorua said with a chuckle.

He didn't seem to notice me at all. It wasn't long before a Pokemon, similar to that of Zorua appeared. She was much larger than Lucario, almost twice his size. Her claws were much sharper and extended compared to Zorua, whom had no visible claws.

"Hi Lucario. How was... Ohh..." she stopped after she noticed me.

It was at that moment when Zorua glared at me, and then the whole room.

"Hey... Riolu? I have a brother?" Zorua muttered.

"You found your brothers son. That was... Fast," said Zoroark.

I crossed my arms, a sheepish grin on my face.

"Zorua, I need to speak to your mom alone. Can you go outside and play for a bit?" dad requested.

"Umm... Sure," replied Zorua.

And with that, Zorua went outside, and me, Lucario, and Zoroark sat down at the dining table.

"I told you about Damian here right? And well... Meet the newest member of the family," said Lucario uncomfortably.

Zoroark gave me a warm smile, making perfect eye contact, assuring she was of no hostility.

"It's nice to meet you, Damian. Welcome to the family. Umm... Can I make you anything to eat? You must starving from all of that walking."

"I am kinda hungry. Thank you."

Despite the small talk we were making, the room was awkwardly quiet. All of us trying to think of what to say.

"I'm really sorry about your old life. I want you to know you're a part of our family now and there's nothing we won't do to support you. Zorua means the world to me and you do too. I'm happy to have you as our son," she said softly.

Zoroark then stood from her chair, leaned toward me, and hugged me tight.

"Welcome to your new home," she muttered.

I wrapped my arms around her in return, resting my cheek in her soft, thick fur.

"Thanks... Mom," I said gratefully.

She soon released me and said, "I'm gonna make you some poffins okay sweetheart?"

"Okay. Whatever those are..." I replied.

"You're gonna love em. I promise," mom assured.

She left the room, and dad instantly stood from his chair and said, "I'll be right back. I'm just gonna get Zorua. Feel free to look around."

I nodded, stood from my chair, and he was soon outside of the cave. I took this time to examine my new home. The floors were actually quite soft, a fabric almost like carpet brushed against the bottom of my paws as I walked. The home consisted of three openings to what seemed to be other rooms. As you enter the cave, you'll see the circular dining table with four wooden stumps around it. Each one of a different height. On the walls beside the entrance was a waterfall on both sides which led into a pool of sparkling water. There wasn't a lot to the main room, other than a sofa, if one could call it that, made of cotton, covered by a soft looking tarp.

"Okay Zorua. I'd like you to meet Damian. Your... Brother," said dad.

Zorua looked at me intensely. He wasn't sure what to think of me. His expression completely unreadable.

"Brother...? Is he older than me?" asked Zorua.

"No. He's nine years old. You'll be taking care of him kiddo," replied Lucario.

Zorua's gaze didn't leave me. "Umm... Do you... Uhh... Do you like toys at all?" he croaked sheepishly.

I grinned in a friendly manner. "Yeah. You have some?" I asked.

"Yeah! Dad just got me a new ball! It's really cool. Wanna go outside and try it out?" he asked excitedly.

"Sure! Let's go," I said enthusiastically.

His face lit up in pure joy at my response. He ran to leave the cave, and I swiftly followed behind him.

"We're gonna play outside, dad! Be back in a few!"

"Okay, just don't go too far from home okay? Your mom is making up some poffins for you two."

"Alright!" Zorua concluded.

My brother led me to a wooden box with hinges on the back to open the crate. He pushed up the lid with his head and the door was flung upward, revealing various toys.

"Hmm... If I could just find the stupid thing," muttered Zorua.

He jumped inside and began digging into the crate occasionally throwing items outside of the box.

"Haha! Gotcha!" he exclaimed, throwing the ball my direction. He removed himself from the crate, threw any toys from the ground inside, and closed the hatch.

"You know how to play keep away ball right?" he asked.

"No. I don't think I've heard of it before," I replied.

"It's simple! All you gotta do is keep the ball away from me. But you can't hold the ball. You can only kick it or hit it with your paws. So... Put it on the ground," he ordered.

"Okay..."

"When you're ready, just say go."

I planted the ball in front of my feet, prepared myself and, "Go!"

In a split second, Zorua dashed like a speeding bullet and grabbed the ball at my feet. I was awestruck.

"What was that?! You gotta do better than that if you ever wanna beat me," he taunted.

I shrugged, "Let's try it again."

"Okay. Try and take it from me now," Zorua sneered with his right forepaw resting on the ball.

Without warning, I lunged at the ball, falling into the grass as I dove for unsuccessful attempt to snag the ball from him.

"Try it again," he laughed lightly.

I growled in my throat, then made a determined expression. Zorua simply stood with the ball in front of him. He forced a mocking yawn.

"Haven't got all d-"

I lunged once again for the ball, missing my mark by only an inch as slapped the ball with his head. I quickly recovered and dove once again. His speed was incredible, and unlike anything I've ever seen. I began to wonder if I could move that fast.

As if on queue mom could be heard calling out, "Damian! Zorua! Come eat!"

Zorua groaned, "Mom! We just started playing!"

"You can play after you eat! Now come inside please!" she ordered almost sternly.

Zorua mumbled, kicked his ball aside and led the way to home. Mom was patiently waiting for us to come inside. As we made it inside, mom began to speak.

"Zorua. Damian. When you're done eating you can play for one hour, then your father wants to show Damian around the area."

Zorua and I took a seat at the table.

"Ooh! Can I go too?!"Zorua exclaimed.

"Ask your dad, sweetheart," mom replied softly.

As if on queue, dad appeared from the room on the left. Walking casually to mom.

"Ask me what, Zoroark?"

"Can I go with you and Damian on your walk!?" Zorua blurted out.

Dad smiled, "You don't have any chores do you?"

"Nope. I finished em all earlier! Can I please go?" Zorua's pitch only got higher. It was a lot of effort to only participate in a walk around the area.

"Hmm... Honestly, I think me and Damian should go alone. After all, he's never been here before. And I know how distracting you can be, Zorua."

Zorua let out a quiet 'Hmph'.

"Fine... I'll just stay home then..."

"Thank you for not giving attitude, Zorua. I'll bring Damian back later and you two can hang out inside, alright?" dad stated gently.

"Alright..." my brother sighed in discomfort.

"Eat up boys. I didn't make for these poffins for me or your dad."

I stared at the plate, glaring at the pastry-like foods resting in a pile. They looked tasty enough.

Before I could make a move, I sat motionless as I saw a black, ominous shadow appear from Zorua's back, which then lifted here of the poffins and placed hem onto his plate. When Lucario mentioned superpowers, he wasn't kidding. Zorua then munched on one of the pastries. Removing myself from my trance, I attempted to pick up one of the poffins with one paw, then chuckled as I remembered I no longer had fingers. I then used both of my paws to lift one and plant it on my plate.

I eyed the pastry carefully, wondering if I was actually willing to try food from another planet.

"What's the matter?" Zorua swallowed, "Never eat a poffin before?"

I shrugged, lifted the poffin, opened wide and...

"Wow... That tastes awesome!" I said in satisfaction of the sweet flavor overpowering my taste buds.

"That's nothin dude. You should see how mom makes her poffin cake."

I finished off my first, then moved on to my second, then third, then fourth, and within 15 minutes, the center plate was cleaned. I was full, that was certain.

"Mom! We're done eating! Can we go outside now?" Zorua called, for mom and dad were in another room.

"Yes, but remember! One hour okay? No more!" she replied.

Zorua instantly bolted outside, gesturing me to hurry up. I've only been here for two hours, and I already have a family and a home. And not just a family, but a family I can say I'm proud to have. I smiled to myself at the the thought and joined Zorua outside.


	2. Love Is Where Home Is

"And over there is the school you and Zorua will be attending..."

The day was sunny and bright, the trees towering above providing dad and I with shade as we walked along a seemingly never ending path. The scenery was hard to explain, but it almost seemed as though it could only force one specific emotion into anyone. Joy. The grass was bright green with a bright reflection of the suns rays causing each blade to sparkle. If the sun had a face, it would definitely be smiling down on everyone. I could only place one word to describe this world. Perfect.

No pollution, no gray buildings, no smell of cigarette smoke, nothing that could ruin this scenery existed. I couldn't get over how this world could not look any better. Civilization was just naturally better at keeping their planet clean I suppose.

"Hey dad?" I started after he finished speaking.

"Yes, Damian?" he replied.

"Everything here... Is it all like this...?"

"Like what?" asked Lucario.

I gestured my arms in a swimming motion, pointing to the whole planet in the process as I said the word, "Perfect."

Dad was amused by the question, that much was obvious. His grin said it all.

"I've never seen the whole world, son. I honestly couldn't tell ya," he replied, "there's a small town on the left up here called, Emilia Town. It's home to many of the parents and their children. The mayor, Loudred, happens to be a good friend of mine from school."

I looked at the exterior of the town. There was a sign that read, "Amelia Town" and under that text was, "Home to the Milotic Lake". I shrugged and continued walking.

Dad showed me a lot that day. Along the way he shared some stories of friends and taught me the names of different Pokemon and taught me more about types, occasionally interrupting himself to tell me where we are. Our walk was almost finished as we were merely a mile from home, until...

"Lucario!" someone with a very gritty voice exclaimed.

I turned around, and dad did the same. Dad sighed as though frustrated.

"Damian, let me take care of this okay? Just sick behind me."

"What's wrong-"

"Just... Stay behind me okay? This guy always wants to cause trouble."

I looked at the guy dad was referring to, and I quivered. This guy was huge. Towering over dad I by at least ten feet. He was light green with a body shaped similar to that of a gator that stood on two legs.

"What is it Tyranitar?" dad snarled.

The guy simply scoffed.

"Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"Friends of mine don't criticize my son. And definitely don't raise a hand to him. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back home now."

Dad whirled my direction, placing a paw on my shoulder directing me to follow.

"You're never gonna let this go are ya? That's what you're best at Lucario! Grudges! I hope your other son there doesn't turn out to be a criminal!"

"Don't mind him, Damian. He's just a complete jerk," dad muttered.

"What's his problem?" I asked.

Dad looked down at me, "Let's just say this. He, or any one for that matter, will not raise a hand or criticize my sons. He pulled both on Zorua and I... I can't say I'm proud of it, but... I fought him and that's that. I'm not going to minimize my action by saying it was right, but no one raises a hand to my child- er, children."

The only thought in my mind was, 'Dad fought that guy?'

"Anyways, we're almost home. Anything else you wanna talk about before we're home?"

"Just one thing... Umm..." I wasn't sure how to word this precisely. There was no correct way of saying it.

"Why did you bring me here?" I blurted.

Dad made a face.

"You didn't have to go on the walk if that's what you m-"

"No. That's not what I meant... Why did you save me? You didn't even know me at all and... You just went out of your way and... Why me?" I interrupted.

His eyes widened at the question, and we suddenly stopped walking. Dad looked down at me, then knelt down to where we could meet eyes.

"Why wouldn't I have saved you is a better question? Damian, you were a child fighting to survive, fighting to eat scraps of food, fighting... No child should EVER have to fight for their lives, especially after what you've been through. I've seen many messed up characters on your planet, but you were the one I found most worth out of saving. You have the potential to do something great kiddo, I believe in you. I love you, son. No matter what."

I felt a warm feeling my chest. This is what love felt like. To be cared for. I didn't know if I wanted to smile or cry. So I made a mix of both. I lunged for my father and hugged him tight, tears dropping down my face, short sobs following the maneuver. He wrapped his arms around me, patting my back.

"Th-thank you... Dad..." I cried.

"You don't need to thank me, son. I didn't have a choice in the matter. If I would've letcha get kidnapped or whatever those guys had planned for you, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. And this definitely wasn't because I had to. It was because I wanted to. You're my son now, and you don't need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you."

"W-why?" I sniffled.

"Because" he started, "no matter what, you'll always be an amazing son. I can tell that."

He seemed as though he had to make something up to tell my why, but I didn't care. It was still nice of him to say.

He let me go, and I wiped my nose with my arm. My fur tickling my nostrils as I did so.

"Sorry... I gotta stop doing that..." I sniffled.

Dad planted his paw on my shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it," dad said softly, "if you ever need anything, even a hug, we're here for you."

I felt that warmth inside again, the feeling I never felt on Earth. Every time it appeared, my heart seemed to beat faster. My breath became heavier. It was the feeling of being loved.

My father stood up and shook his right paw through the fur atop my head playfully.

"We're almost home. Race ya there?" he challenged with a smirk.

"Race?" I asked sheepishly.

"Yeah! First one to the house wins," it was then without warning that dad said the words, "Ready. Set. Go!"

Not reacting as quickly as I thought I would, dad got a head start on me, but not too far. I swiftly obtained balance and sprinted faster than I ever could have imagined. This speed was incredible, unlike anything imaginable. I almost felt like I was flying, as the wind rushed through my fur with each soft thump of my paws hitting the ground one by one. I passed my father without notice and in no time at all I made it to the finish line. Home. My eagerness to win got the best of me, however, as I didn't slow down and I nearly slammed into Zorua.

Zorua shrieked and closed his eyes in fear of being trampled, but in the knick of time I was grabbed by a set of tender paws. As I noticed the figure as mom, she whirled me around once and dropped me on the ground gently beside Zorua.

"Let me guess... You're father wanted to race, right?" she asked with a face that was between worried and hysterical.

Zorua's tension eased as he sighed with relief.

"It was my fault Zo, you can scold me instead," dad laughed as he kissed mom on the cheek.

"Zo hunh? Been a while since you called me that..." she said, kissing dad on the cheek now.

"Yuck... We're still here..." Zorua griped, putting one paw in front of his eyes.

They laughed and set their gaze to Zorua, "You think this is all gross now, but wait till you meet that special someone, Zorua. You'll be doing the same thing," dad said, his eyes shifting back to mom.

Zorua made a sound of disgust.

"Come on, Damian. Let's get inside before I get too grossed out to think straight."

I chuckled to myself and followed Zorua inside.

The rest of the evening was pleasing. Mom made another batch of poffins for the family, Zorua and I played inside a little bit, and eventually it was time for bed.

My bedroom, well mine and Zorua's bedroom, consisted of two beds, a toy chest in the corner wall, a waterfall leading into a sink like structure which made a soothing as it fell down the interior of the mountain, and a flame lit lantern on the ceiling illuminated the room.

I yawned as I lay in my soft bed, wrapped in the comforting fabric of the blanket. Zorua was in the bed on the other side of the room, and with a yawn, he lay his body down, and then rest his head between his forelegs.

I then noticed mom walk into our room. She blew out the lantern, making the room dark and visibility became near impossible. I could feel the thick fur of moms arm as she planted a paw on my forehead and moved it atop my head, pressing down my ears. With that maneuver, I then felt a kiss on my forehead.

"Good night, Damian," she muttered softly.

I had the instinct to reach my arms out and hug her tight. She seemed surprised by the move, but she gladly obliged to it. Mom leaned in and wrapped one arm around me, pulling me close.

"Good night, mom," I muttered as my face remain buried beneath the fur in her shoulder.

In little time, I released her and I lay back down in my bed, continuing to watch mom as she moved across the room to say good night to Zorua.

Mom then went to our doorway and stood beside our father, "Good night boys. We love you both," he said.

"Love you too," Zorua and I both said simultaneously.

And with that, mom and dad were off to their own bedroom, leaving Zorua and I in the pitch black but with the safety of our beds.

"Hey Damian?" I could hear Zorua whisper.

Struggling to stay awake already, I replied, "Hmm?"

"Tomorrow we're gonna go to school. I can help ya make some friends while we're there," he murmured across the room.

"Okay... Sounds cool... Thanks..." And with those final words, I drifted off to sleep.

AUTHORS NOTES:

There it is guys! Sorry it took so long. I've been working a lot on Deceitful lately and nearly forgot about this little project. :0 So Damian is finding comfort in his new home, but how long will it be before Damian discovers more about Zorua's pranking habits? Will he fall into it, or will he take justice in the matter? Find out next time on... Ohh yeah, it's not a TV show. Just read the next chapter, review this one and I'll love you forever! :^D


	3. Day Two

The world was enveloped in darkness. Not a glimpse of light was visible. However, as I looked down at my paws in front of me, an ominous but bright glow of light surrounded me. It was almost like the super vision dad showed me, but my eyes were opened.

"Hello...?" I asked aloud. The sound of my voice trailing off into the distance in the form of an echo.

I crossed my arms, "Hmm... Weird..."

As I finished my statement, I turned around and gasped.

The darkness was natural, however, it wasn't of my conscious mind. My breathing was soon altered to heavy panting as I saw them. Four full grown men were slowly making their way towards me, an improvised weapon in each of their hands.

"We told ya before kid. Don't steal from us or anyone else in this town. It was a fair warning, and now we're gonna take action..." One of the men said.

I slowly crept back into the wall.

"W-what are you... What are you gonna...?" I staggered.

"It's nothing personal kid. Sorry..." They all raised their weapons, and the world around me was no more. No, it was just different. The world changed around me.

I looked around me now, my heart pounding in my chest, breathing heavily. I look around to see that I was back in my bedroom. Relieved it was only a dream, I lay back down, tireless.

I nearly shrieked as I heard moms voice in the darkness say, "Are you okay, Damian?"

I huffed, "Sort of... Just a bad dream, that's all."

I could feel her paw resting upon my right cheek.

"Don't worry about bad dreams sweet heart. Dreams aren't real unless you make them real. Okay?" she said softly.

*That dream sure looked real to me.*

"Yeah... Okay mom. Thanks," I panted.

My entire body was hot and sweaty, and I could feel myself shaking intensely. It was like my life flashed before my eyes. And in some case, it already has. But in a good sense.

I sighed, and mom gave me a hug.

"Have a good sleep okay? I'm gonna go back to bed," her presence was gone shortly after that.

My heavy breathing began to calm as I told myself the same phrase monotonously.

You're safe here. You're safe here. You're safe here. You're safe here...

*I'm safe here and nothing can hurt me as long as I'm with my family.*

I went back to sleep, forcing a grin in the process.

"Damian...?" I could hear dad's voice behind the darkness of my closed eyes.

"Damian... Wake up. I'm getting ya signed up for school today."

I groaned like any other stubborn teenager not wanting to get out of bed. It was then that I heard dad chuckling, and then whispering something to mom, who I could also hear was in the room.

"Let me take care of this," I heard Zorua say mischievously.

I could then feel myself being lifted into the air magically and I was now hovering above my bed. It was Zorua, using his powers to carry me in midair. My eyes were wide opened and at that point I shrieked playfully, "Okay! I'm up! Lemme down!"

"You swear you're up?" asked Zorua, who was looking at me with a playful grin.

I laughed, "Yes! I swear."

He dropped me and I bounced decently high as I landed on my bed.

Yep. That woke me up for sure.

I watched as Zorua scampered from the bedroom to the living area. I yawned, stretched, rubbed my eyes, then dropped myself from the edge of the bed to the rock floor.

"Good morning, Damian. You sleep good after last night?" asked dad.

"Last night...? Ohh you mean the bad dream? Yeah, I fell asleep pretty quick if that's what you're asking," I replied.

Mom left the room, and dad began to speak again, "Listen, if there's anything you wanna talk about, just let me know. How bad was the dream? What was it about?"

I yawned again, "It's no big deal, dad. I promise."

He gave me a non-assuring glare, as though I wasn't telling the truth. I honestly didn't want to tell him yet. The dream didn't bother me all that much, because I knew it was only a dream.

A dream based on something that actually happened.

"Alright, kiddo. Mom got some breakfast. If you feel upset about the nightmare at all, just let me know okay? Anything you need, I'm here for ya."

I smiled past my fatigue of just waking up, yawned for the umpteenth time, and said, "I know. Thanks."

I stretched my arms out and walked sluggishly to the kitchen. On the table was a large plate with assorted poffins, 4 apple-like fruits, and large wooden bowl filled with berries. Mom really loves to prepare food, that much was obvious. It wasn't a mediocre job either, it was impressive how neat the table was set and prepared. The berries were organized in a circle split into four groups like a pie chart.

"Mom, this looks great!" I complimented as I sat down on the wooden stool.

She kissed me on the forehead, and then circled around the table to do the same to Zorua.

"Aww thanks sweetheart. I do my best for my boys. Right Zorua?"

I looked over at Zorua who was already stuffing his face.

"Hmm?" he asked.

Dad chuckled at Zorua's clueless face.

With his mouth full of food, Zorua said, "You gonna eat or what?"

I took his comment as an order and began eating, myself.

If I didn't start now, Zorua would clean the entire plate within minutes. I ate as much as I could until my stomach couldn't take anymore.

Full from breakfast, I said, "Thanks mom."

"You're welcome, Damian. Need anything else?" she asked.

"No thanks... I think I'm about ready for school now," I answered honestly.

"Not exactly..." Chimed dad.

I noticed Zorua's heaving sigh.

"But I took one yesterday, dad!" my older brother complained.

"You need one in the morning and one at night, Zorua. You know that by now," explained mom softly.

"But I always look stupid after I take bath and then I have to go to school with my fur all messy!" Zorua ranted on.

"So... You would rather be the smelly kid at school then?" marked dad.

"Maybe... I dunno," Zorua mumbled.

"Just take a bath without complaining. Damian isn't complaining about taking a bath and he's your younger brother. Set an example for him," scolded dad.

Zorua grumbled, "Fine... I'll take a stupid bath."

Grinning victoriously, dad said, "Damian, let Zorua bathe first. Once he's done you can take yours."

"Okay."

A bath. It sounded strange to me for some reason. Living on the streets, I was never that clean. I was so used to the odor of my clothes and body that I hardly ever noticed it.

It was mom who escorted me to bathroom, which consisted of a large, stone tub that was filled by a waterfall inside the cave and excess water was drained at the bottom of the tub. It was almost like a bathtub on Earth, but more... Prehistoric.

Zorua jumped in the water, his head sinking under the water. As he popped his head from the water he exclaimed, "Privacy please!"

"Ohh..." I said, slightly embarrassed. I followed mom out of the bathroom and simply awaited outside for Zorua's exit from his bath.

It was after five or so minutes that Zorua appeared from the bathroom, still somewhat wet as his fur was slicked downwards.

"Your turn..." he sighed.

"Thanks big brother," I replied with a smile.

Zorua's eyes seemed to widen as I said 'Big Brother'. His expression quickly changed to an almost unnoticeable grin as he walked away.

I entered the bathroom and inspected the bath more closely. I was expecting clumps of Zorua's fur to be floating around, but to my surprise the water was crystal clear. I climbed on the edge of the tub, and dipped my left foot in. The water was surprisingly warm and without hesitation I climbed inside and in no time at all I was surrounded by the water.

The tub wasn't very steep, so there was no true drowning hazard in the case. I had one problem at that point however as I stand motionless.

How do I take a bath exactly?

I've never had one as a human, and this was completely new to me. It only seemed logical to do one thing.

"Mom? Dad?" I called out.

It was mom who entered the bathroom, looking at me as though worried.

"Everything okay, sweety?" she asked.

I scratched the back of my collar, grinning sheepishly.

"Yeah... I don't really... I've never had a bath before..." I staggered.

She smiled in understanding.

"That's fine, sweet heart. All you do is this..." Mom poured some kind of liquid into the water, forming white clouds of bubbles in the process.

"Just use your paws to wash your fur. It's easy," she explained somewhat uncomfortably, "I'll leave you alone. If you need anything else just call okay?"

I nodded. As she left the room I began my cleaning, and I felt somewhat stupid for not knowing how simple it was to take a bath. Then again, every day I'm going to face things like this. Things I've never experienced as a human that the world cursed me from doing.

My bath took somewhat longer than Zorua's if I counted my time correctly. As I stepped out of the tub, I was dripping head to paws in water and soap suds. I wasn't sure what to do from there.

"Umm... Let's see..." I muttered to myself.

I looked around the bathroom and noticed a large, fluffy fabric folded neatly in the corner of the room. I picked it up and knew its purpose immediately. It was a bright green towel with thick, fuzzy fibers running along the large rectangle. I dried myself off the best I could, reassuring myself I wasn't going to get water all over the house, and exited from the bathroom.

"I'm done!" I called out.

"Took ya long enough," remarked Zorua who was standing by the exit of our home.

"Okay, good. Ooh... We're running short on time. Lucario, we're leaving now!" exclaimed mom.

"Alright! Have a great day at school you two!" he answered from another room.

It was then that I followed mom and Zorua from our home to the outside dawn sunlight. I squinted as the bright light shone in my eyes. None of us began to speak until we were minutes from home.

"Well, Damian. Here's the plan. I'll go with you to the registry office and we'll get you signed for classes. The school faculty are quick and definitely know what they're doing. You'll probably be placed in second or third grade, but I think you would be better off starting from the beginning."

"The beginning? Hasn't he been to school before?" Zorua asked, not noticing my situation at all.

I saw mom glance at him, and Zorua sighed.

"Sorry..." He whispered.

"Anyways... I know you'll love school, Damian. I happen to know a lot of the teachers and faculty there, so anything you or Zorua do, I'll know it. And I do ask Zorua's teachers what he's doing in class... I'll make sure to do the same with you," Mom warned.

"Okay. Don't worry though, I mean... I'm not gotta get in fights or anything like that," I replied assuringly.

"I hope so. If I find out you started a fight, Zorua what happens?" Mom asked.

"Grounded for two weeks."

"Or more," corrected mom.

"Yeah... And I haven't gotten in any fights since that," Zorua mumbled.

"And it better stay that way, Zorua. Umm... Zorua you should run ahead to school, you'll be late for class. Damian's just getting signed up."

"I can't walk with you?" Zorua asked..

"Not if you wanna make it to class you can't. Now, hurry up! If you run you might make it!" mom exclaimed.

Zorua nodded and swiftly scampered off down the dirt trail. Mom then focused her attention to me.

"I wanted to speak with you about something in private. I mean... You know your situation and all. I know Zorua and how he can be. It hurts me as his... And your mother to say this but... Please try not to get involved with Zorua's pranks and tricks. I know he will try and influence you to do so, and I don't want you being in the same boat as he is reputation wise. Just... Be careful is what I'm trying to say," mom stated.

I nodded, "Okay, mom. He doesn't seem that bad, though. I haven't really seen anything honestly."

Mom sighed, "That's because you've only been with us for two days. You'll find out his ways soon enough. Umm... I'm sorry, I just can't talk about this anymore. But you get what I'm saying anyways. So... I'm actually very curious about something. Your father has seen Earth many times, but he just can't seem to explain it without trailing off onto something else. If you feel uncomfortable sweety we don't have to discuss it but... What is Earth like exactly? It was hard for you but... What was different from here than there?"

I thought for a moment, looking for the correct way to answer.

"For starters... The Earth is covered in grey buildings and street lights and... Umm... It's not green at all really. We had forests, but we weren't surrounded by it ever. The smells were usually the worst part, though. The smell of smoke and whatever else you could imagine was always there. I... I never got to see the best parts of Earth, but I always wanted to y'know?"

Mom nodded her head, "Earth doesn't sound too good for anyone."

"No. It's good for some people... But..."

Mom stopped me in my tracks with a hug, "I know sweet heart. Things were tough, but they're better now. Sorry for even bringing it up. I want you to do something for me. Forget about the past okay? You're here and you have nothing to worry about. As long as you're with your family... Lucario, Zorua and myself, you'll be just fine. We'll stop at nothing to help you with whatever you might need. I want to see a smile on your face every day. Deal?" she asked, releasing me.

I nodded and grinned at her, "Deal."

I then hugged her quickly and we were back onto the trail to school. The school wasn't much further away to my surprise, and although dad and I passed it yesterday, it looked even better up close.

A set of incredibly tall, push-to-open double doors were before us as we approached the entrance of the bright blue facility. Mom held he door opened for me, and I quickly walked through the door. My reaction was priceless as I saw the interior of the school. Pokemon of all shapes and sizes flooded the halls. Some conversing with one another, and others resting against the wall, tired from the early rise.

My gaze was reverted to mom as she said, "Come on, Damian."

I followed my mother through the cluttered hallway to a push door, which I noticed were everywhere in the school. In the room, mom and I were greeted by a friendly, young female voice.

"Hey Zoroark! What can I do for ya?"

I looked to my left to see a slightly taller then me, green and white figure. Her features were almost unexplainable, but anyone could tell she was a girl.

"Hey, Kirlia. I'm just getting Damian here signed up for school," mom replied.

"I'm sorry, what's his name again?" Kirlia asked.

"Damian," mom replied gently.

"Damian. Cool name, dude! Never heard anything like it before," Kirlia said with a grin.

"Thank you," I said shyly.

"Don't mention it, little man. Just follow me this way. You're lucky you caught Absol today. If you were here last week, you'd be waiting for hours. New parents and kids, you know he deal. Anyways, he's right in this office," she said after leading us to Absol's office.

As we entered the room, we were greeted by a friendly figure. He had thick, cream white fur that glistened in the light as the sun shone through the window. A black crescent was perched atop his head.

"Hello, Zoroark! It is good to see you once again. Waiting to hear how Zorua's doing, I assume?" he asked.

Mom rested a paw on my shoulder, "Nope. I'm hear to get my son signed up for school."

Absol's eyes widened as he noticed.

"Oh! My apologies. It's nice to meet you..." his voice trailed off.

"Damian," I replied.

"Damian? That is a peculiar name I must say. I've never heard anything like it. Anyways, of course I can get you signed up! So... I'm guessing this is his first day in school?" Absol set his gaze to mom.

"Yes, actually. I think he should start in grade one," mom added.

Absol grinned, "Grade one it is then! I'll just ask Kirlia to see if there are any open spaces left in Ms. Rose's class."

"Thanks Absol," mom said after rubbing the fur atop my head, pressing down my ears in the process.

"No problem. Kirlia!" Absol called out.

Immediately, Kirlia entered through the door.

"Yeah?" she asked, smiling.

"Can you check to see if Ms. Rose has any openings in her class?"

"Sure! Just one sec," Kirlia replied, then closed her eyes.

In only a few seconds, Kirlia began to speak aloud to seemingly nobody in the room.

"Hey, Ms. Rose?" Kirlia started.

There was a short pause, then Kirlia said, "Yeah, I have a new student here and I was wondering if your class isn't too full."

Another pause.

"Okay! That's awesome! His name is Damian, coolest name ever right?" I grinned at her hospitality, "And he's Zoroark and Lucario's son. Zorua's new little brother... Yep... Okay... Great! Thanks so much! I'll let them know right now."

Kirlia focused on us, her eyes now opened.

"You're all set, Damian! I can take ya there now if you'd like."

"Umm..."

"Go ahead, sweetheart. I'll meet you after school okay?" mom said happily.

"Okay mom," I replied nervously.

She pulled me in for a hug, kissed me on the forehead and left the room, and shortly after, the office itself. Kirlia pat me on the back as mom left.

"Don't be nervous, dude. We're all cool here. You'll fit right in, Damian. Man, I can't get over how cool a name that is."

If there was anything these Pokemon knew how to do, it was make someone smile. Kirlia was incredibly optimistic, and I honestly couldn't imagine her angry, ever. Her optimism just seemed to wipe right off on me.

As we walked through the now emptied hallways, she said, "You excited for your first day?"

"Kinda yes, kinda no. I mean... I think it'll be nice here," I replied simply.

"You'll do great! I know ya will. Wow we're here already? Just be yourself, okay? Try to make some friends, but I'm sure you'll be the most popular guy here anyways."

I smiled, and entered the classroom.


	4. The New Kid

I stepped into the classroom on edge. I wasn't scared, I was just incredibly nervous. I've only been on this planet for two days, and I'm still not accustomed to their lifestyle. Time seemed to slow down so much that I was able to ask myself a billion questions all at once.

What will everyone think of me? What if they think I'm weird? What if I ask a stupid question? What if no one wants to be my friend? What if there's a bully? Will they pick on me?

The questions stopped as a friendly face greeted me. She was a flower in appearance, a rose if I could compare her looks to anything. She gave me a two mile grin.

"Well... You must be... Umm... I'm sorry what was it?"

I stopped in my tracks as I stood mere feet from her. My gaze went from her, to the entire class of young students all sitting and staring at me. My tongue began to salivate, my heart was racing.

What's your name, idiot!? My inner voice was cursing me.

I shook my head, returning myself to reality and replied, "D-Damian. My name is Damian."

My reply was almost silent.

"Damian! That's what it was! Welcome to the class, Damian. That is a very interesting name. That makes you pretty special," the teacher said with a wink, "anyways... I'm Mrs. Rose and, of course, I'm the teacher. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

"Uhh... Whaddya mean?" I muttered.

"Well... Who's your family, what's your favorite food or game, anything on those lines."

I scratched the back of my head, afraid of my answer.

"Umm... My mom is Zoroark, and my dad is Lucario... And my brother is Zorua."

"What do your parents do for a living?"

My eyes widened at the question. What do they do for a living? Do they even have jobs?

I had to think of some kind of response soon that wouldn't make me like a complete idiot.

"I... Well... I don't really know what they do."

The entire class laughed, making my anxiety increase tenfold.

"That's fine. You don't have to share if you don't to, Damian. Take a seat anywhere you'd like," Mrs. Rose said cheerily.

I gulped and looked around for an empty desk. I noticed one of the students raise their arm up.

"Sit over here, dude!" he called out.

I looked at the student. He was bright green in color. His form, bipedal. His eyes were as yellow as the sun and he wore an optimistic grin across his face as he waved for me to sit in the desk next to him.

I bit my lip, and slowly approached the desk next to him. As I was within inches from the chair, I sighed and sat down. The chair was surprisingly comfortable compared to its rugged appearance. The student leaned towards me and began to whisper.

"Hey, Damian. I'm Treecko. It's nice to meetcha."

"Umm... Nice to meet you too," I whispered, not making eye contact.

He tapped me on the shoulder with his amphibious hand, "Don't be nervous, man. We're all cool here. We should hang out in recess. I can show ya round. Sound cool?" he asked, his tone seeming to fill with more and more excitement the more he spoke.

I nodded, and went past my anxiety to look Treecko in the eyes and grin.

"Yeah. Definitely!"

"Awesome! We can talk in 30 minutes or whatever. Mrs. Rose doesn't like it when we talk in class," he instructed.

I looked up towards the teacher and grinned. My questions began to take a whole new path, each one being more optimistic than the last.

What if I make friends with everybody? What if Treecko is really cool with everyone? Maybe I'll be the most popular kid in school?

I smiled at the questions and set my attention to Mrs. Rose, who was now speaking loud enough for the entire class to hear.

"Damian, we were just going over the types of Pokemon. If you know any of the answers just jump right in, okay? Okay class... Does anyone know what a rock type is weak against?"

The question actually seemed simple, but I had no clue what she was even talking about. There's a Pokemon made of rocks?

The entire class seemed to raise their hands, wings, paws, and even some of them standing due to their figure lacking arms.

"Munchlax?""

Everyone put their arms down, and a short, chubby, navy blue bipedal 'mon stood from his chair.

"Rock types are weak against umm... Ground, steel, water... Umm... Grass... Uhh... Sorry, I forgot the rest," the student staggered.

"Anyone wanna help Munchlax out? We're only missing one... Maybe Damian? You of anyone should know this one."

And that's when the anxiety came back. I didn't even know what she meant by types, but I'm pretty sure everyone else in the class knew what to say. Their expressions made it obvious they all knew the answer. I began to think of something Lucario told me.

"Fighting?" I asked.

"Perfect! Great job!" Mrs. Rose exclaimed.

I let out a deep breath, glad it was over.

"Now..."

The next thirty minutes consisted of the same topic manner. Mrs. Rose going around the room and asking everyone the different types and their weaknesses and strengths.

After thirty minutes, Mrs. Rose announced, "Time for recess, class. Go outside and play for an hour, and I expect all of you to be back on time."

Everyone stood up, and rushed for the classroom door. Treecko tapped me on the shoulder. I whirled around to face him.

"Follow me, okay? You probably don't know where recess is, I'm guessing."

I nodded and followed Treecko from the classroom, to the outside world to find myself in front of a large playground. Pokemon of all kinds were running around, playing happily with one another.

"Okay, Damian. How bout I show you my friends?" he asked.

I nodded and replied, "Sounds cool."

Treecko led me to a group of three Pokemon, who were playing some kind of game with a ball as they tossed it into the air. One of them was a bipedal grey and brown figure. Not much taller than I was. His head was shaped like an acorn if I had to name any kind of unique feature.

The second one was nearly a foot shorter than I was. A round, red and orange ball of feathers with two talons for feet could describe his appearance. He looked almost like a very short chicken.

The third 'mon was bright orange, only slightly taller than me. A yellow ring was around her neck, with 2 blue fins on each of her arms.

"Hey guys!" Treecko called out to them.

They stopped playing their game and set their gaze on Treecko and I.

"Treecko, what's up dude!?" exclaimed the orange one, who's soft feminine voice distinguished her gender.

Treecko high fived each of them, then looked at me.

"Guys, this is Damian. He's new here," Treecko introduced me.

"Damian? That's a cool name! What's it stand for?" Asked the red one, who was male.

I shrugged, "Nothing really. It's just a name."

"Never heard of a Damian before. Anyways, I'm Scratch but on rescue missions my name is Jet. And this is..."

"Let us tell him our names, Scratch!" scolded the acorn with a high pitched but raspy male voice, "name's Leon the Nuzleaf. It's my parents choice, not mine. My team name is Zed."

"And I'm Hazel, but my team name is Booyah. Kinda weird how I got the name, cause I used to say Booyah every time I won a battle. And it's kinda close to Buizel I guess. We're still thinking of a name for Treecko, though. We need second nicknames to keep our identities safe when we go on rescue missions. Know what I'm saying?"

"Actually, I've thought of a couple names. What about Tweak the Treecko?"

Hazel pursed her lips, "Nah... You don't look like someone who Tweaks anything. How about Trunks? I dunno, it's kinda close to your name y'know? You have "tree" in your Pokemon name."

"Like tree trunks? That sounds kinda silly. How about Awesome the Treecko!"

All of them giggled at Treecko's statement, as did I somewhat. That's when I butted in on the conversation. I began to remember a name back in Earth. There was a guy who would often give me food from his restaurant out of the kindness of his heart.

"What about Tremont?" I blurted.

The group stared at me for my sudden addition to the conversation.

"Hey... That actually sounds kinda cool. Tremont the Treecko! Haha... What d'ya think, dude?" asked Scratch, who was looking at Treecko now.

"Tremont seems kinda long, though..." Treecko flustered.

"What if you shortened it to just Trey? I mean it's kinda the same name," I suggested.

Treecko balled his hand into a fist of confidence and laughed.

"That's way better!" exclaimed Hazel.

"Yeah! Trey the Treecko! Leave it to Damian to come up with a cool name," remarked Leon.

"Wow, thanks Damian! Man, I wish you were here a long time ago! Ever since I joined the team I've been looking for a name."

"Hey... Speaking of that. Why don't you join the team, Damian? We could use a fighting type in the squad, at least until Scratch evolves," offered Hazel.

"Whaddya mean, team?" I asked.

"You've never heard of a rescue team before?" asked Scratch.

I shook my head.

"Ohh... Well a rescue team is kinda like a group that helps other Pokemon who can't really do something on their own. We're always trying to do missions to get our rank up. Right now, we're at Bronze cause we just started two months ago. But if we can get a B rank mission, we'll get promoted! We're at 400 something points right now. Once we get 80 points, we'll be silver rank! It's kind of a big deal, really. If we have a fifth guy, we can split up and do even more missions!" explained Hazel.

I thought about my decision carefully, "Alright... I'll join ya."

They each shared a high five with me, Scratch was forced to jump due to his short size. His talon slightly scraping my paw in the process.

"Welcome to Team Terravita!" Hazel said kindly.

"Terra-what?" I asked, not expecting the name at all.

"Team Terravita! Cause we're worldwide! Kicking tail and saving lives!" replied Scratch with great vigor.

It was a much more interesting name than Damian. I began to wonder their ages for some reason. Judging from their voices, Hazel seemed to be the oldest by possibly one year. She may even be the leader of this "rescue team". I assumed Leon was the second oldest, followed by Treecko, Torchic, and now... Me.

It was great to know I already have friends in this world. Let alone friends who seemed like my kind of people.

"Okay, so... What d'ya guys wanna do now?" asked Scratch, "we got like an hour of recess."

"Let's just play some-"

Leon was interrupted by a not so friendly voice.

"Hey, Team Terrible! Don't ya know that's our spot?"

I turned to face the speaker. The speaker was my height, blue in color with white in different parts of his body. His appearance was unexplainable. Behind him were two others. The one on the right was bright green, almost like Treecko. His body very snake-like, but short. A smug grin was worn across his face. On the left was a tan bird. That's probably the only way to describe her.

"Not this again..." muttered Scratch.

"You don't own any part of this school, Meditite!" Treecko snarled with his fists clenched.

"My dad is the vice principal, and trust me... I own this playground more than I own you. You're lucky I'm not kicking you off altogether," the one, who I'm assuming was Meditite.

All of us went silent, all glancing at one another.

Hazel finally broke the silence, "Come on guys. Let's just go..."

My eyes widened at how fast they were ready to give up.

"No..." I muttered.

Meditite's expression went from a grin to a scowl.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" he asked, turning his head to the side as though he was trying to hear me better.

"This isn't your playground. We'll stay here if we want to..." I may have made the dumbest mistake of my entire life.

Meditite crossed his arms, while his two friends tensed up behind him.

"You're the new kid, right? Here's the deal. I'm gonna assume I didn't hear you just now, considering you just got here and don't really know the rules. My exploration team can pound each of you to the ground in seconds. Now, if you were smart you wouldn't talk to me like that again. Say you're sorry..."

I thought for a moment, then shook my head.

"Okay... I'm sorry you're a pathetic excuse for a bully. I'm sorry you're too weak to pick on someone your own size. I'm sorry y-" Meditite interrupted me with a punch to my gut.

I knelt over, holding my stomach in pain. He knocked the wind out of me, causing me to gasp for much needed air.

"Wow! How stupid are you?! I give you a fair warning and yet you still don't listen to me. I hope you've learned your lesson, because that was just a warmup punch. Don't mess with me or my exploration team or you'll get much worse than just a punch," Meditite huffed, "NOW TAKE IT BACK!"

I slowly recovered and replied, "If I took it back, then I'd be a liar. I'm no liar."

Meditite went to strike me again, but his attack was abruptly stopped as an illusory shadow appeared in front of my face, which then disappeared as Meditite brought his arms back to his side.

I then noticed the one who blocked the attack for me.

"Meditite, if you as much as walk within ten feet of my brother, even look at him funny, I'll beat you and your exploration team six feet under. Understand?" Zorua snarled as he stood in front of me.

Meditite appeared afraid, as did the other two of his team. Meditite gulped, then bulked up.

"You think I'm scared of you? Your probably a bigger wuss than your brother. Maybe a bigger idiot, too."

Zorua scoffed, "That's a fair warning, don't ya think? Don't mess with my brother or any of these guys! Or I swear you'll regret it!"

My brother had a fire in his eyes. He looked like he was ready to take on the world at this point.

The green snake whispered something into Meditite's ear.

"No, Snivy! I'm not just gonna let this little punk tell me what to do!" Meditite exclaimed.

"If ya don't like it, you can always try attacking my little brother again."

Meditite scowled, then turned away and stomped away from us with his two friends.

Zorua grinned at me, "You okay, little bro?"

"Yeah... Thanks," I breathed.

"Damian, if he ever puts his hands on you, or anyone else for that matter, tell me. I'll take care of em," Zorua assured me.

His gaze went to my new friends, "Already made some friends hunh?"

I nodded, "Yeah! Umm... This is Scratch, Hazel... Uhh... Leon, and Treecko."

"Good to meetcha, guys. Same goes for you. If that guy or his friends bother you, lemme know. They won't be bothering you much longer after that," my brother promised.

"You're Damian's brother?" asked Scratch.

"Yep! And no one messes with him, except for me anyways," Zorua joked lightly.

"Do you have a name like Damian's?" asked Leon.

Zorua shook his head, "Not anymore. I used to be Zach, but... I never liked the name, so I just stuck with my traditional name. Zorua's just fine with me."

"Well, Zorua. I'm Hazel, and these are my friends and rescue team members, Scratch, Leon, and Treecko. And our new member, which I kinda guess you know him already since you're brothers."

Zorua chuckled, "Rescue team hunh? I thought you couldn't have five members in a rescue team."

"Nah, they changed that rule last year. Now you can have a total of six members!" replied Scratch.

Zorua became silent for a moment, then said, "Well little brother, I'm gonna get back to it okay? You guys have fun."

I nodded, "Thanks, Zorua."

"No problemo. See ya at lunch, then after school. Then at home..."

I giggled, "Okay. See ya."

And with that, Zorua turned away and seemingly vanished from sight as he walked past a group of students.

"That was cool of your brother to do that," noted Leon.

"Yeah... He's pretty awesome. Umm... So... Let's do something fun before recess ends," I remarked.

The four of them agreed, and they showed me a game called Keepaway. And it was exactly how it sounds, keep the ball away from one person. By the end of recess I had a smile on my face on the entire walk back to class.

Maybe things won't be so bad after all.


End file.
